Volume Hazelnut and Almond Milk Chocolates

Volume Chocolate comes from the house of Cagla Cikolata, a Turkish chocolate-manufacturing company, established in 1992. I've reviewed another one of their seen-often-on-the-shelf brands, Truffino before and after tasting this one, I'm convinced of the substandard fare made by the company.

What the company seems to get right is the packaging. Just like the Truffino truffles, the slim Volume Chocolate bars come in very attractive packaging. Strangely enough, none of their wrappers overtly mention the company name. However, with their lovely packs designed in royal blues and purples, they are rather inviting. I picked up the two available varieties, Hazelnut and Almond Milk Chocolates.

But the moment I saw the 100% chocolate sign, I suspected it wasn't. My suspicions were confirmed when I tasted it. The chocolate was flaky and excessively sweet with a sprinkling of nuts. It was hard to tell the almond from the hazelnut, and both tasted similar. The taste of cocoa was rather weak too... certainly not what '100%' chocolate tastes like.

Sized like a Kit Kat finger, but longer, these Volume Chocolates cost a ridiculous INR 40 apiece (40 g) and definitely not worth the price. Give these average chocolates a miss. Most of our desi chocolates are much better.


RATING: 2/5

Snickers Dark and Almond bars

Spotting imported varieties of regular chocolates is a little like stumbling upon a treasure for me. The other day I saw these two babies, and I was doubly excited. I adore dark chocolate and I've recently discovered that I also love roasted almonds in my chocolate. I was looking forward to the twists in the much loved Original Snickers product.

Because I saw and bought them together, I decided to do a joint review. So yeah, unless you live in a metro, you are not likely to find them in India. These lovely varieties are imported and are stocked by the snootier supermarkets and I get to have them. (#fuckyeahbitches!)

But seriously, the Snickers Almond is quite epic. IMHO, it is much better than the peanut snickers and I didn't think that was possible. But the Snickers Dark was a disappointment. The Dark variety is just regular Snickers with dark chocolate, but the peanut-nougat-caramel combination is so overpowering, that the dark chocolate doesn't come through. It's a good product by itself, but doesn't offer a dark chocolate love much. The Almond variety, on the other hand, is milk chocolate yet distinctly different because of the whole nuts.

If you're looking for variety, Snickers Almond is a much better bet. The Dark bar, which costs INR 110 for 51.9g (the Almond bar is similarly priced) isn't worth it.


Snickers Dark RATING: 3/5
Snickers Almond RATING: 4.5/5

Cadbury Twirl

So, it's a Cadbury Christmas! One can't help but keep coming back to this brand, simply because they have such a vast variety. I've reviewed a number of Cadbury products on Chocosophy, including cookies and chocolates, and the line-up still seems unending. This time, it's the Twirl, a product quite similar to the Flake.

However, unlike the Flake, Twirl has a solid/smooth layer of milk chocolate on the outside, which makes it a sturdier product. The Flake, while lovely, isn't a very popular product, because it is very fragile. The Twirl is an improvement as it gives the consumer that lovely, flaky taste experience without it crumbling into pieces all over the place.

The Twirl comes in the popular 2-finger format, which makes it easy to share/store. The milk chocolate is rather ordinary - like most Cadbury products are - and has the brand's trademark sweet taste. What makes it different are the flakes that melt in one's mouth.

A 43g pack with two fingers costs INR 60, simply because it is an imported product. Milk chocolate and Cadbury lovers will like it but it certainly isn't unmissable.

RATING: 3/5

Lux Truffe Truffino

This one's come all the way from Turkey. Lux Truffe by Truffino is made by a Turkish company called Cagla Cikolata. Established in 1992 as a one-factory unit, Cagla Cikolata has grown to be one of the largest confectionery manufacturing companies in the region. It exports products to several nations in the world, and in India, they are imported by KK Importers in Navi Mumbai.

But imported doesn't necessarily mean good. Calling something limited edition doesn't mean it's good either. These here are extremely average truffles and we certainly make better chocolates in India. For example, the Alpino truffles by Nestle are better, although I don't like them much.

As you can see in the picture, the real deal isn't anything like the one on the packaging - the outer layer has no beautiful texture. The chocolate creme inside is decent and there's a whole hazelnut in the centre. But the taste experience is underwhelming and as always, I find the milk chocolate too sweet. If it is truffles you want, there's nothing to beat Ferrero Rochers for an everyday treat.

This box is priced at INR 60 and has just three individually-packed truffles, which is 20 bucks apiece and it's definitely not worth it.

RATING: 2.5/5

Milka Noisette

Established in 1826 by Philippe Suchard, Milka is one of the oldest Swiss chocolate brands in the world. The brand name Milka was trademarked as early as 1901 and it has been derived from the German words 'Milch' (milk) and 'Cacao' (cocoa). Some suggest that the brand name was Suchard's tribute to a famous soprano of those times, called Milka Ternina.

The brand changed many hands over the years, and was finally bought over by Kraft Foods, now Mondelez International in October 2012. Today, the brand famous for its trademark purple packaging, the purple cow mascot and quality products has a global presence. Especially so now, since I could buy it off the supermarket's shelf in Mumbai.

Despite my sworn dislike for milk chocolate, I will say one thing. This is the best milk chocolate I've ever had. The Milka Noisette (hazelnut) Milk Chocolate is a very rich-tasting chocolate with a beautifully dense texture. It's smooth as silk and melts in your mouth releasing the sturdy flavour of hazelnut. It's as sweet as any other milk chocolate, but I didn't mind that for the first time. Hell, I love it and if I had to pick one milk chocolate among the many I've ever had, it would be this one.

At INR 160 for 100g, it's not very expensive either and it has Chocosophy's love!


RATING: 4.5/5

Droste Holland Almond Milk Chocolate XXL Pastille

With a heritage of over 150 years, Droste is one of the better known names in the world of chocolate and confectionery. I first came across it at The Cocoa Trees, a multi-brand specialty chocolate store in Mumbai. However, a good friend and colleague brought me this to sample and review for Chocosophy.

Droste was founded by Gerardus Johannes Droste in 1863 in Haarlem, The Netherlands. The company prominently sold drinking chocolate in the beginning and its ads with a lady holding a Droste pack and a mug on a tray become very popular. The ad shows the Droste pack with the same image as the ad, creative a visual recursive effect. This effect was named the Droste effect after this company and its iconic ads.

Over the years, the brand changed many hands and is currently owned by German company, Hosta. However, it continues to operate as an independent business unit ans retains the famous brand name. Droste's products can be found in over 60 countries. One of its most famous products is the Pastille. A pastille or troche is a type of sweet (or medicinal pill) made of a thick liquid that has been solidified and is meant to be consumed by light chewing and allowing it to dissolve in the mouth. In this context, it means a round centre-filled chocolate, usually sectioned into four quarters.

The Droste Holland Almond Milk Chocolate XXL Pastille weighs about 50 g, and costs INR 125 per piece. As you see in the picture, it doesn't have much of a 'filling', but has abundant almonds. The milk chocolate, with 34% cocoa, is smooth but much too sweet and of a rather mediocre flavour. It is quite forgettable and I'd even go as far as to say our Indian Cadbury chocolates fare better if sweet, milky chocolate is what you want. This one's an easy miss.

RATING: 2/5

Green & Black's Organic Butterscotch Milk Chocolate

Since my one true chocolate aficionado friend mentioned Green & Black's  to me as one of the best chocolates in the world (really, no exaggeration), I've been looking high and low for this UK-based brand. I came across three precious bars at a local supermarket in my area, which stocks rare, imported chocolate. The shopkeeper gave me a knowing smile, when I lunged at the bars at the display window and said, "These bars come very rarely, and when they do they get picked up immediately...just like this." I gave him an embarrassed smile and paid for this lovely bar of Green & Black's Organic Butterscotch Milk Chocolate.

The brand has been around for quite some time and was founded in 1991 by Craig Sams, founder of Whole Earth, an organic foods company and his journalist wife, Josephine Fairley. The brand is committed to making chocolate from organic cocoa and with Fairtrade practices. It has won a number of awards, most notably Britain's first Fairtrade Chocolate for their Maya Gold bar in 1994. The brand has since grown immensely and now makes a range of products including ice creams and baking products. It was bought over by Cadbury, now Mondelez International in 2005, but they run it as a separate business, keeping Green & Black's ethos intact.

Green & Black is most famous for their vast range of chocolates, and I now know why. The Green & Black's Organic Butterscotch Milk Chocolate is easily one of the most amazing chocolates I've ever eaten, thanks to the distinct taste of organic molasses. Butterscotch toffee is usually made with just butter and sugar, but this brand uses raw molasses in its recipe, which makes it so different. The other organic ingredients include Raw Cane Sugar, Whole Milk Powder, Cocoa Mass, Cocoa Butter, Butterscotch, and Vanilla Extract.

While the chocolate is smooth, the unrefined ingredients give it a 'raw'ish flavour, something our tongues have gotten unused to because of the refined foods that surround us. The bits of butterscotch toffee are interspersed beautifully in the chocolate and proffer a strong flavour. I wonder how wonderful their dark chocolate variants will be, when their milk chocolate is so glorious. Ah well, I guess I'll just have to wait for whatever lot my local supermarket brings in next. But if and when you spot a bar of G&B's, you must try it. It costs INR 352 for a 100 g bar, but it's so worth it!


RATING: 4/5

Ritter Sport Mini Bunte Vielfalt

Once you've tasted this popular German brand of chocolate, it is impossible to not keep going back to it. My first two 'encounters' with Ritter Sport were memorable with Marzipan scoring 3 and Whole Hazelnuts scoring 3.5 and I couldn't wait to taste the many other flavours the brand makes. This assorted pack called Bunte Vielfalt, which is 'colourful variety' in German was the perfect option.

The pack offers seven of their 25+ varieties and includes Fine Milk Chocolate, Butter Biscuit, Hazelnuts, Yogurt, Cornflakes, Praline and Marzipan and may I say they're all fantastic. What I like about is the brand is the complete lack of fuss and focus on quality. Their simple packaging design in bright colours and robust flavours underlines this.

Of the seven, I found the Yogurt flavoured chocolate the best with the slightly sour filling complementing the sweet milk chocolate oh-so-brilliantly. The next in line was the Butter Biscuit. Might I use Amul's line to describe this one? The biscuit was 'utterly butterly delicious'. Cornflakes came a close third with its perfect crunchiness. The Praline, Hazelnut, Marzipan, and Fine Milk chocolates fared similarly with no real surprises. However, the chocolate quality was ace for them all.

The 150g pack with nine pieces costs just INR 325, and is imported by Dugar Overseas. It is easily available at all fancy supermarkets and is a great buy.

RATING: 3.5/5

Nestle Alpino

By now most people will have seen the Alpino TVC, where a husband makes a big faux pas and then appeases the wife by offering her these chocolates. Mush seems to be the selling point of this new product from the Nestle stables. Also luxury. Nestle India makes its debut in the high end chocolate segment with the introduction of Alpino, which is a centre-filled wafer chocolate.

Also called bonbons, Alpino seems to me as the first real competition to the wildly popular Ferrero Rocher. Similarly packaged in golden colours, the product is meant to exude luxuriousness. Inside the plastic wrapper is a card tray printed with the words "mine" and "ours" upon which sit the two bonbons. On opening the gold foil wrapping, one can find 'love' messages printed on plastic strips.

My pack, as you can see, had these two extremely cheesy lines: "Two of us fit together like these two bonbons in the pack", and "Dogs are for you, cats are for me. This is for us." These remind me of fortune cookies or Dove chocolates (the Indian version is called Galaxy), which have similar messages inside their wrappers.

The chocolate itself is ho-hum. The texture is great, but as always, I find it disappointingly sweet. The sweetness of the milk chocolate overwhelms and takes away all finer points. The taste would have balanced so much better had the centre filling been dark. However, most Indian consumers will find it palatable. What they might not like is the price. Two bonbons, weighing 22 g in all, cost INR 25. But because the product is being positioned as a luxury one, people might just buy into it.

RATING: 3/5

Sweet Passions assorted chocolates

This beautiful box of assorted chocolates was a birthday gift from an uncle-in-law. Although he is an old bachelor boy, he knows best what makes women happy. And that chocolates will please yours truly is a no-brainer. This beautiful card-paper box with gold stars and a gold ribbon is so festive-looking, I'm sure it'll cheer up even the grumpiest.

The chocolates are from a Chembur-based bakery called Sweet Passions. It is a very popular place and rightfully so, given the quality of their products, and (surprise surprise!) customer care. I'm a big fan of their cakes, which are absolutely moist and lovely and their blueberry cheesecake is to die for. But before this assortment, I hadn't tried their chocolates. I obviously had high hopes. 

The 250 g box had an assortment of roasted almond (dark) chocolate, dry fruit (dark) chocolate, hazelnut supreme (dark) chocolate, orange surprise (dark) chocolate, crunchy caramel (dark) chocolate and milky bliss (milk) chocolate and a very helpful label to help identify what is what. Although the colour blind among us (and most men) would have difficulty distinguishing between the beiges, browns and coppers. [Sorry, couldn't resist that one!]

Each of the chocolate pieces weighs around 10 g and have pretty ridges created by the chocolate moulds. They look quite homemade with the elementary foil packing for individual pieces, but the quality is professional. The chocolates are remarkably smooth and rich in ingredients. However, the dark chocolates are a little too sweet for my taste.

The Roasted Almond was my absolute favourite because the nuts were roasted to perfection. The Crunchy Caramel came next with a gooey caramel filling with rice crisps for the crunch. The Dry Fruit Delight came a close third. The other three I'd pass because the Orange Surprise and Hazelnut Supreme are artificial flavour based and milk chocolate (Milky Bliss) has always been my unfavourite stepchild.

Since this was a gift, I cannot be sure about the price, but I will totally recommend it for gifting or indulgent purposes!

RATING: 3.5/5

Mi Amere Chocolate Squares

Just how pretty are these? I came upon these recently at a grocer's in Mumbai and was absolutely delighted by the way they look. Mumbai-based company Holvin Foods Pvt. Ltd. makes chocolates under the brand name, Mi Amere and they are responsible for these beauties. In the business since 2009, the company makes artisan chocolates and their products range includes Chocolate Disks, Soft-Centered Bonbons, Semi Soft Centered Chocolates, Solids, Choc-A-Series and Chocolate Modaks. These chocolate squares seem to be a latest addition. They're definitely the first of their kind in India, at least as far as packaging goes.

More than the chocolates, it was the packaging that I was impressed with. At first sight, they look like single large chocolate squares - the kind you would see in a Lindt bar. But the pack mentions four squares, which are revealed once you open it. The size (18.6 g) is just perfect for sampling and ideal for chocoholics like me who like to try different varieties. Priced at just INR 10 per pack, they are absolute pick me ups. Beautifully coloured card paper wrapping , an easy flap, a custom note about the kind of chocolate and matte gold foil wrapping for the individual squares are all quite lovely, and give them an international appeal. The types available are Milk Chocolate, Intense Orange Dark Chocolate, Lemon Pistachio in White Chocolate and Hazelnut Chocolate.

The chocolates, however, are not half as impressive. The lamest of them all was the plain milk chocolate. Insipid, with little or no aroma, this is one product you may want to avoid.

The Intense Orange Dark Chocolate fared a little better, just by virtue of being the dark variant. There's nothing 'intense' about the orange flavour and the chocolate isn't exactly smooth either. But if you had to pick one from Mi Amere's chocolate squares, I'd suggest you go for this one.

While I dislike white chocolate, I appreciated this combination of lemon and pistachio in it. Lemon is a particular favourite and I would have liked it much better without the pistachio. But the two also work well together, and it gets brownie points just for its unusual character.

This last one - the Hazelnut Chocolate - is also pretty lame in terms of taste and texture. Hazelnut in chocolate has been done to death, but I've learnt from this brand that not everyone can do it well. A very weak-tasting chocolate with a few pieces of hazelnut is all that this one has to offer.

If I buy Mi Amere chocolates again, the company will have only the package designer to thank.


RATING: 3/5

Chocosophy product launches: New Milka range, Zico chocolate coconut water, Stone Grindz

Spain gets three new Milka chocolate snacks 

Mondelez International's milk chocolate products brand, Milka, has launched three new products in Spain including Choco Moo, Choco Tutti and Cake & Choc. 

Milka Cake & Choc is a tablet-shaped cookie filled with Milka chocolate nuggets, Milka Choco Moo is a cow-shaped cookie covered with Milka chocolate, and Milka Choco Tutti is a cake comprising two layers of chocolate sponge cake topped with Milka chocolate. These products have been around in other countries, but will be new to Spain and will hopefully be imported here too soon.

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Zico chocolate coconut water

US-based company, Zico, that sells packaged coconut water has introduced chocolate as its newest flavour.  Apart from chocolate, Zico Pure Premium Coconut Water is available in flavours like Pineapple, Latte, Passion Fruit, Mango, Strawberry-Banana, besides the natural one. The introduction of the chocolate flavour will please many health-conscious chocolate lovers, and will be available from July 1 with independent retailers in the US. The chocolate-flavoured drink will be sold in 400 ml and 1 l resealable cartons.

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Stone Grindz Morrocan Mint & Cashew chocolate

Artisanal chocolate makers, Stone Grindz, have introduced a unique flavour called Morrocan Mint and Cashew that is 100% raw and organic. Despite being made with the old-age stone grinding technique, the chocolate professes to be smooth with a lovely earthy flavour. 

What truly makes Stone Grindz chocolate unique, aside from being 100% raw and organic, is the texture. As the name implies, the company's entire product line, including coconut butter and superfood bars, is made using a stone grinder. This gives the chocolate a rough, sandy texture like that of traditional Mexican chocolate, and it means that mix-ins like nuts and fruit are ground into fine pieces along with the beans to be strewn evenly throughout the bars. Stone Grindz products are available at farmers' markets in Scottsdale Arizona, US.

Ghirardelli Gourmet Milk - Coconut Rendezvous

Whatever else the US may be famous for, it is certainly not chocolate. The only American chocolate brand that I have read about with any consistency over these months of chocolate blogging is Ghirardelli. And it is unsurprising because the company apparently has a Lindt & Sprungli connection ¹. The brand is named after founder Domenico Ghirardelli, an Italian chocolatier. Having been established in 1852, it is America's second oldest brand (the oldest being Baker's Chocolate). It is also among the few brands in the world that control the bean-to-bar aspects of production.

I was naturally excited to find it at a specialty food store in Chembur, Mumbai. However, they had only a couple of variations and I had to bring back a milk chocolate bar. So my first Ghirardelli experience was to be with Gourmet Milk Coconut Rendezvous.

Once the card wrapper is opened, one sees a lovely light golden foil embossed with the Ghirardelli brand name. The chocolate bar is also branded with the Ghirardelli logo, that has a quintessentially American eagle in it. The chocolate bar has a sweet aroma and I was afraid it might be a little too sweet by the time it reached my palate. And right I was. The chocolate turned out to be disappointingly sweet; even for a milk chocolate. I might as well be drinking Milkmaid.

That said, the chocolate is exceptionally smooth and has a lovely, creamy texture. The coconut adds texture, but I found it dry and it did not do much for me in terms of flavour. For example, I'll think of Bounty first when someone says coconut chocolate and not Ghirardelli Coconut Rendezvous. Milk chocolate lovers may like it, but it isn't worth spending INR 490 for a 100 g bar.

I'm eager to try Ghirardelli's dark chocolate offerings, but I'm definitely never buying this again.


RATING: 2.5/5

Gold Standard Extreme Milk Chocolate Whey Protein

Page after web page has been written about the quality and performance of Gold Standard Whey Proteins, and I am a noob as far as fitness nutrition goes. But I feel compelled to write this review simply because of the chocolate angle.

I've been working out religiously for over a year now and I much prefer weight training to cardio (actually, I hate cardio). And since my trainer could not get me to do cardio or diet with any seriousness, he gently pushed me towards the path of protein supplements. I was very skeptical like all beginners, wondering if the supplements would bulk me up. But my trainer assured me that all it would do is build muscle quickly, thus helping me raise my metabolism and burn fat. There was also the question of price; I didn't feel very comfortable investing 6K on something I wasn't very sure about. 

Gold Standard is a product of American company, Optimum Nutrition Inc. (better known as ON), which, in turn, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Glanbia - a leading international cheese and nutritional ingredients group. After reading up a little about it online, I bought a 5 kg jar of Gold Standard Extreme Milk Chocolate Whey Protein, wanting to see what the fuss was all about. The world's best-selling whey couldn't be bad, eh?

I picked the Extreme Milk Chocolate flavour as the safest bet, not knowing what to expect of a protein supplement. But Gold Standard has more than 24 flavours, including unconventional ones like rocky road, root beer float, vanilla chai, and eggnog, besides many fruity flavours. There are variations in chocolate, like chocolate creme, chocolate malt, chocolate mint, double rich chocolate, and mocha cappuccino.

The powder is of a fine flour-like consistency, and the jar has a measuring scoop to help you define portions. A heaped scoop is about 30 g and considered the ideal portion size, especially after a heavy workout. One can have it either with water or milk (preferably low-fat); I've been told to have with with water to minimise fat intake. The powder mixes easily with both water or milk, provided you use a shaker. The label on the jar says it can be mixed well with a spoon too, but I've found it rather difficult.

When mixed only with water, the concoction looks dark brown and is thick, chocolaty, and rather sweet. It definitely tastes better with milk, like a chocolate milk shake would. It is a little creamy and is much more palatable than the water solution. However, one gets used to the water mix as well, due to the overall good taste of the product. From what I read on the Internet, I should find it difficult to appreciate other cheaper brands because I've started with what most call the best in the market. I reckon it is.


RATING 4/5